Method of and apparatus for making baskets



April 17, 1934. M. BALSAMO METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BASKETS Filed May 1, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 17, 1934. BALSAMO 1,954,861.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BASKETS Filed May 1, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 17, 1934 PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR, MAKING BASKETS Mariano Balsamo, St. Louis, Mo.

Application May 1, 1

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of, and apparatus for making the form of basket described in United States Patent 1,875,694, issued to myself, dated September 6, 1932.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of a method of, and appa ratus which shall make said basket expeditiously; the provision of a method and apparatus of the class described wherein the upper edge of said j basket may be formed quickly and accurately and with less difilculty than the upper edges of prior baskets which do not incorporate the improvements of my said patent; and the provision of a method and apparatus of the class described which is of the simplest nature both in construction and operation. Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations of elements, features of construction and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the structures hereinafter described, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in'which is illustrated one of various possible embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is an enlarged cross section showing a detail of the upper edge of the improved form of basket, which edge it is desired to form by means i of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a mat of splints preparatory to forming the same;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic View of forming members with a mat therebetween preparatory to a "I forming operation;

Fig. 4. is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing conditions after forming has been completed; and,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail illustrating a stapling operation on one of the forms.

. Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1, there is illustrated at numeral 1, a body portion of a produce basket of the Wooden-slat or splint type provided with a girth band or hoop 5. The upper edge "I of the band 5 is approximately flush with the upper ends or edges of the slats 9 which slats form the bottom and side walls of the basket.

There is also provided an inner hoop or flange 11, preferably wooden, about and above the mouth of the basket, having a V-shaped cross section with the narrower portion directed downwardly. This flange 11 is held with the outer band 5 at F'1 the upper edge of the slats 9 by means of clamp- 933, Serial No. 668,680

ing staples 13, placed. at suitable intervals. The staples 13 pass through the outer band 5, the upper edge region of splints 9 and the band 11. The advantages of this construction per se have been set forth in said Patent 1,875,694.

It is proposed to show herein a novel method of, and apparatus for forming the structure of Fig. 1.

In Fig. 2 is shown the mat comprising the helically arranged slats 9 which initially lie flat and are fastened as shown at numeral 15. This mat, as is shown in Fig. 3, is placed between a solid form 1'7 and a hollow matrix form 19, which forms 1''! and 19, by means of suitable known apparatus or manually are moved toward one another.

To provide for attaching the bands 5 and 11, I fashion the upper end of the form 17 as a clincher bead 23 having a lip 25 and an undercut recess 27, said recess 27 being adapted to receive therein the thick edge 29 of said band 11, as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5.

Adjacent to the recess 2'? and lip 25, I provide on said form 17 a peripheral anvil-portion 31 which has the function of backing the thin edge 33 of said band 11. The operation of the apparatusis as follows:

The hollow matrix form 19 is withdrawn to the position shown in Figure 3. Manually, or otherwise, strip 11 is placed within the clincher groove 27, the thick edge thereof being in the groove and the thin edge over said anvil 31. The length of the strip 11 is equal to the circum i'erential length of said groove 2'7 so that the strip 11 forms a complete circle. The strip 11 being wood or the like, has a natural tendency to spring into a straight position, but being positioned under the lip 25, remains in a proper circular form.

Next, the forms 17 and 19 are brought together, after'having had the mat 21 positioned therebetween, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The final positions of the forms 17 and. 19 are as shown in Fig. 4 wherein the mat has had its thicker central portion forced into a recess 35 of the form 17 and the radial portions of the mat are forced and cupped against the sides 37 of said form 17, thereby to form a basket. The relationship between the clincher bead or flange 25 and the ends of the splints 9 is such that they are substantially flush as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

Next, before the forms 1'7 and 19 are separated, the flexible, exterior strip 5 is applied, the same being stapled by known means as application is made. The staples 13 are driven one after the other, each priorly driven staple holding the exterior band 5 in position to permit bending of a part of the same which is subsequently stapled. As each staple 13 is driven, the prongs thereof engage the anvil 31 to clinch as shown in Fig. 1.

After the strip 5 has been completely circumferentially stapled, the forms 17 and 19 may be separated and the formed basket removed. A slight springing of the bands 11 and 5 over the anvil 31 readily permits this removal should there be interference due to irregularities.

It will be seen that one of the advantages of the invention is the fact that the upwardly extending inner band 11 may be placed under the clincher bead 25 and there held as forming of the basket is accomplished. Without the clincher bead of this'type, it would be necessary to use a groove about the form 17 which would not inherently hold the band in place. By means of this invention, the inner band is easily held in place until the basket is formed and the outer band is placed while the forms 17 and 19 are together, thus providing a well made, rigid and neat appearing band joint which is entirely finished when the basket is taken from the forms. It will be understood that subsequently to the steps herein described, other lower hoops may be stapled to the basket.

In view of the above it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in carrying out the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a basket making apparatus, an inner form, an undercut lip on said form, said lip being adapted to receive and to hold an internal springing peripheral band, said lip being narrower than the band thereby leaving portions of the band exposed a cooperating external form adapted to force amat over the first-named form, said mat surrounding said internal band at the exposed regions thereon, said external form being shorter than the inner form thereby after cooperation leaving exposed the peripheral edge of the mat, whereby an exterior band may be stapled by staples passing through the exterior band, the mat and said interior band.

2. Basket making apparatus comprising inner and outer forms, an overhanging flange on the inner form adapted to partially receive and to completely circumferentially position a band which is to be used interiorly of and extend from a finished basket, said overhanging flange being narrower than said band so as to partially expose a peripheral portion of the same, said outer form having a free edge and being adapted to be forced to efiect cupping of a mat over said inner form and to cause the edge of the mat to surround said interior band where exposed, the outer form being enough shorter than the inner form so that in the operative position of the outer form with respect to the inner form said free edge of the outer form is spaced sufli ciently from the edge of the overhanging flange to accommodate an outer band, whereby said outer band may be applied peripherally and stapled to the edge of the mat and to said firstnamed band.

3. Basket making apparatus comprising inner and outer forms, an overhanging flange on the inner form adapted to partially receive and to completely circumferentially position a band which is to be used interiorly of and extend from a finished basket, said overhanging flange being narrower than said band so as to partially expose a peripheral portion of the same, said outer form having a free edge and being adapted to be forced to effect cupping of a mat over said inner form and to cause the edge of the mat to surround said interior band where exposed, the outer form being enough shorter than the inner form so that in the operative position of the outer form with respect to the inner form said free edge of the outer form is spaced sufliciently from the edge of the overhanging flange to accommodate an outer band, whereby said outer band may be applied peripherally and stapled to the edge of the mat and to said first-named band, and an anvil on the inner form at points where stapling is eflected.

MARIANO BALSAMO. 

